BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
VERY COLD CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR
TEMPS. MODERATE ABOVE FREEZING TODAY
 
Christmas began with a high of 35 deg. at midnight
Christmas eve but fell to 13 deg. by about 8 a.m.
with a bitter cold wind chill.  The temperature rose
to a maximum of 21 in the early afternoon before
falling back to the teens. Rising temperatures later
in the evening were back to 19F by midnight.
 
A band of light snow grains/snow moved through this
morning accumulating 0.2 inch and 0.02 melted and later 
began melting as temperatures rose to the mid-30's.
 
NO DISCUSSION FOR CHRISTMAS DAY BUT BELOW IS OUR ONE
MANUAL OBSERVATION AT 7 A.M.
 
12/25/2013 WED CHRISTMAS DAY
 
Sky: Clear, few cumulus fractus forming vicinity SE-SW,
stratocumulus/cumulus layer along and offshore NE-NE
Visibility: 45 miles
Temperature: 14F; Dew Point: 1F; Wind: NW at 16G22 kts
Sea Level Pressure: 30.39 ins. Hg; rising then more rapidly
6-hour min. temp: 14F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 45 292/14/1/3216G22/039/ FEW CUFRA VC SE-SW SC/CU
LYR ALG/OFFSHR NE-SE DSNT HZ/ 8/800 53035 10023 20014   
 
Today's Observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altocumulus, few small breaks in overcast
to the NE-SE, few bright spots in overcast 
Temperature: 24F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: SE at 12 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.36 ins. Hg, decreasing
Visibility: 35 miles. light distant haze
6-hr. min temp: 18F
24-hr precip: 0.00 inches
BHO SA 1155 E32 OVC 35 280/24/19/1412/036/ SML BINOVC DSNT NE-NE
FEW THN SPTS IOVC LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/5// 58026 10024 20018
 
10 A.M. 
Weather: Broken stratus fractus, overcast nimbostratus,
light snow grain occurring 
Temperature: 29F; Dew Point: 25F; Wind: SSE at 3 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.33 ins. Hg, decreasing
Visibility: 4 miles, light snow grains 
3-hour precip: trace
3-hour snowfall: trace 
BHO SA 1455 E10 BKN 16 OVC 4SG- 272/29/25/1403/033/ VSBY LWRG PST
HR VSBY E 3 SW-NW 5 SGB20 TOTAL NEW SNW 3 HRS T/ 8/72/ 55008
MANUAL 600/
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast nimbostratus, lower stratus layer distant WSW-NW,
higher cloud layer distant W-NW
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 30F; Wind: SE at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.15 ins. Hg, falling then more rapidly
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog, inversion over city north estimated 
top 3 hundred feet, thin fog all quadrants  
6-hr max temp: 32F
6-hr precip: 0.02 in.
6-hr snowfall: 0.2 in.
BHO SA 1755 E16 BKN 23 OVC 20 209/32/30/1310/015/ LWR STRA LYR
DSNT WSW-NW HIER LYR VSB DSNT S-NW INVSN OVR CTY N ESTMTD TOP 3 HND
THN F ALQDS/ 8/62/ 58063 MANUAL 6002/ ASOS 60002 10032 20024
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2013 CHRISTMAS DAY
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....25    NORMAL.....36
MIN.....13    NORMAL.....21
MEAN....19    NORMAL.....28
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL......................-9
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.....................-20 [-1.0 DEGREE/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............46  DEPARTURE.........+9
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............837  DEPARTURE........+19
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........2061  DEPARTURE........-19
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1810  DIFFERENCE......+251
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY..................29 WNW   AT   2;26 A.M.
                   AERO.......................30 NW    AT   8:35 A.M. *    
                   ASOS.......................30 WNW   AT   2:36 A.M.    
                   DAVIS......................29 WNW   AT   5:47 A.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY....................21 NW    AT   8:35 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.................22 NW    AT   8:36 A.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE................20 W     AT  12:38 A.M.   
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION............10.0 NW  
                   ASOS......................9.9
                   DAVIS.....................8.8 WNW [300 deg.]
* last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00  DEPARTURE.............-0.16
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.99  DEPARTURE.............-0.03
                         ASOS..............3.97
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........50.59  DEPARTURE.............-1.96
                         ASOS..............N/A**
** ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.......0.0     DEPARTURE.............-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH............15.0     DEPARTURE.............+4.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...........15.2     DEPARTURE.............+2.4
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 2013 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
RMY:  RMY = R.M. Young wind gust recording system added 8/9/2011
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
12/1  45/30/38/+1/0.28/T/000/00           22 SSE AERO 23 MPH SSE RMY 23
12/2  38/34/36/0/T/0.0/000/00             15 NW  AERO 15 MPH NW  RMY 16
12/3  45/32/39/+3/0.00/0.0/284/51         18 NNW AERO 18 MPH NNW RMY 20
12/4  43/29/36/+1/0.00/0.0/389/70         21 WNW AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 21
12/5  53/38/46/+11/0.02/0.0/000/00        36 S   AERO 40 MPH S   RMY 39
12/6  55/33/44/+9/0.38/T/000/00           25 SSW AERO 28 MPH SSW RMY N/A
12/7  40/26/33/-1/0.12/T/287/52           23 NW  AERO 25 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/8  30/22/26/-8/T/T/039/07              25 NW  AERO 27 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/9  41/25/33/-1/0.35/0.6/000/00         28 E   AERO 28 MPH E   RMY 24
12/10 33/21/27/-6/0.14/2.1/000/00         28 W   AERO 28 MPH W   RMY 28
12/11 28/19/24/-9/0.00/0.0/345/63         27 SW  AERO 28 MPH SW  RMY 27
12/12 23/14/19/-14/0.00/0.0/542/99        28 WNW AERO 31 MPH NW  RMY 30
12/13 28/14/21/-11/0.00/0.0/405/74        31 W   AERO 32 MPH W   RMY 33
12/14 28/9/19/-13/0.45/4.8/000/00         30 E   AERO 26 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/15 36/21/29/-3/0.98/2.0/000/00         48 NE  AERO 50 MPH NE  RMY 51 
12/16 27/14/21/-10/0.00/0.0/529/97        36 W   AERO 37 MPH W   RMY N/A 
12/17 23/7/15/-16/0.53/5.5/104/19         28 N   AERO 30 MPH N   RMY 28
12/18 32/15/24/-7/0.00/0.0/436/80         29 WNW AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY 29   
12/19 42/22/32/+2/0.00/0.0/425/78         38 SW  AERO 44 MPH SW  RMY 42
12/20 52/34/43/+13/0.00/0.0/.../..        26 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 29
12/21 58/42/50/+20/0.00/0.0/.../..        28 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 30
12/22 63/35/49/+20/..../0.0/.../..        37 SW  AERO 41 MPH SW  RMY 41
12/23 37/32/35/+6/..../0.0/000/00         24 NW  AERO 25 MPH NW  RMY 25
12/24 36/25/31/+2/T/T/.../..              25 NW  AERO
12/25 25/13/19/-9/0.00/0.0/.../..         29 NW  AERO 30 MPH WNW RMY 30
 
12/26  morning low temp: 19F; the normal low is now 20F   
 
 
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2013
12/22- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 63F;
       surpasses previous record of 62F set in 1994                                
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 26
HIGH 58 IN 1973,1982
LOW -12 IN 1980
PRECIP 3.64 INS. IN 1969
SNOWFALL 17.5 INS. IN 1909
PEAK GUST 84 MPH SSE IN 1957
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 27
HIGH 57 IN 1895,1949
LOW -4 IN 1903
PRECIP 2.43 INS. IN 1969
SNOWFALL 11.2 INS. IN 1947
PEAK GUST 73 S IN 2011
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling